


We've Come Full Circle

by blue_bun_icecream



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Akechi Goro needs constant attention or he will explode, Alternate Universe - No Metaverse (Persona 5), Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Wings, Goro never got involved with Shido, M/M, Pre-Established Relationship, Shuake Big Bang 2020, they're kinda in a weird phase where nothing is offical
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-12
Updated: 2020-08-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:47:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25828426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blue_bun_icecream/pseuds/blue_bun_icecream
Summary: Once is happenstance, twice is a coincidence, and three times is a pattern. A connection between alleged superhero(?) and the streets magically being safer was certainly a pattern. Goro  Akechi knew for a fact that if criminals confessing left and right in a series of less than normal happenings, he would be the one to expose it. Whether Amamiya wanted him to or not.
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Amamiya Ren, Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist
Comments: 9
Kudos: 92
Collections: Shuake Big Bang 2020





	1. Chapter 1

Goro Akechi was first and foremost a man of logic.

From the time he was born, he always knew his mind was one of the brightest. School came easily to him, and he had gotten basically perfect grades all throughout his school years, disregarding his failure in Physical Education (it wasn’t his fault those kids couldn’t take the competition). A full-ride scholarship to a prestigious prep school was gifted to him, taking any work off of his mother’s back, and he was, of course, excelling. This was all leading up to his eventual graduation when he, of course, would take the world of criminal justice by storm. 

Goro believed in what he could see, the tangible, the real. It was a necessary skill to get as far as he had; he wasn’t a moron, after all. So the rumors around his school about people going around and catching criminals piqued his interest more than anything else. As a soon to be detective, it was required for him to go over the facts, the logistics. Solve the mystery with clear wits, and an educated conclusion. Naturally, the first step was gathering intel. 

“Have you heard how they caught that man who was apparently capturing and killing stray cats?”

“No! I heard about the fraud doctor, though! Who killed his kid and got caught.” 

“I heard about the teacher; that’s where they got started, right?”

It all sounded like complete and total bullshit. 

As nice as it would be for things like superheroes or Santa Claus to exist, Goro lived in the real world. The noisy people at his school were too dense to understand that reality just didn’t work that way. The police were useless, the government was worse, and no one was going to magically whisk away all of your troubles. He tried to keep his mind focused on his studies. Baseless rumors that would die out in a week weren’t anything compared to his future. 

“Apparently they just got an artist practically killing his students from overwork. Plus plagiarism. He’s been locked up now.”

“Really? How did the police know?”

“They didnt! I heard they left a calling card at the crime scene! The next day the artist was found and taken into custody after he confessed to all of his crimes.”

“That’s so freaky! Do you think—”

He’d heard enough. 

“Pardon me,” he eventually said in a sickeningly sweet tone. “Some of us actually care about what comes after high school and would like peace and quiet to study.”

The two girls put their heads down. “Sorry, Akechi-senpai.”

That was more like it. 

  
  


As idiotic as those girls’ babbling may be, there were some key points he could take. Mainly, the police didn’t know half of these people were even criminals before the ‘calling card’ gave them all of the evidence they needed…plus the victim(culprit?) giving them a verbal confession. Some type of blackmail, perhaps? Or…magic?

Interesting – but not worth investing any genuine time in. But so many underground criminals had been caught and taken into custody over the past few months...was that really— No. He was wasting time. Any more brainpower going into these baseless, absurd rumors would certainly reduce him to being just like his classmates. Goro shoved out a sigh, packed his textbook, and Featherman R lore book (yes, most of the information was outdated and he spent time fixing it accordingly), then briskly left the library. 

Step one would require outside attention. 

\---

  
  


For Ren Amamiya, there wasn’t much about him worth writing home about. He at the very least could say he was a good kid. He kept his head down, got good grades, did everything to keep people off of his back asking why he wore oversized jackets and gloves in the summer. But all it took was being at the wrong place at the wrong time, and not anything else he could do, to set them off. 

Of course, it bothered him. A lot of things bothered Ren. How needlessly terrible people were, the stares people gave him, their fear whenever he slipped up. When he couldn’t hold himself in anymore and burst—

There wasn’t anything he could do about it. There wasn’t anything he could do about anything in general. 

Perhaps that's why he liked Akechi so much. Akechi was bold, crass, careless, and genuinely didn’t care what people thought about him, even if Ren knew it was more out of exhaustion. At times he found himself looking forward to after school so they could chat over coffee or play a game of chess. He lost more than he wanted, but it was nice to get his mind off those things. Especially on days such as today. 

Akechi moved his rook and sighed, “Amamiya, can I ask you something?”

“You already did.” Ren moved a pawn. 

Akechi glared at him. “I need to know, do you believe that Phantom exists?”

“Phantom?”

Akechi sighed. “Don’t play dumb. The rumors are everywhere and I’m certain they’d circulate somewhere like Shujin.” He moved another pawn. 

“They haven’t; do you mind enlightening me?”

Goro took one of his pawns and seemed to glow with excitement. “A mysterious person or group of people who captures criminals and makes them confess their crimes. Others, they just simply leave in a strange stasis they can’t wake up from. Upon further investigation, I learned that—”

“Why do they call them a Phantom?” Ren interrupted, taking a knight. 

“Perhaps due to their elusive nature. Some people say they can fly.” Another pawn was taken. 

Ren chuckled. “Fly? Maybe it’s just a bird.” A pawn. 

“People will believe anything. Life is so boring you wish for something like a magical being to sweep away crime.” A rook. 

“Maybe… I don’t know either way. It’s my first time hearing of this.”

“I highly doubt that.”

“Nothing but the truth from me, Akechi. Checkmate.”

“Wha— dammit.”

Sure enough, all of Akechi’s pawns were taken, and he hadn’t made any clear defense. It was too easy.

“First time I’ve won in a while. I almost feel like you gave it to me.” Ren took a sip of coffee and pushed up his glasses.

“I don’t do handouts, Amamiya. You know this.”

“…Is something bothering you? You were pretty off your game.”

“Nothing worth concerning yourself over. One more round, then I’ll head home.”

Ren chuckled softly. “You wouldn’t basically give me the win if something weren’t on your mind other than how badly you want to win.”

“I have studying to do, Amamiya.”

“We can study right here, Akechi. I could just keep you from leaving until you give me the answers I want.”

“You’d never. But I like entertaining the idea of _you_ being so bold.” Goro promptly placed his bookbag on the booth’s table. “It’s bothering me how quickly so many things are being solved.”

Ren almost rolled his eyes. “The Phantom, again?”

“Don’t mock me. You’re the one who insisted I tell you.”

“Right, right.” 

Akechi cleared his throat. “I agree that these rumors are moronic and baseless...but I’d be lying if I said they didn’t spark something within me. Curiosity. The same type of excitement you’d get from ghost hunting or staying in an abandoned space.”

“Yeah, but if the rumors are true, they deal with criminals.”

“A little danger never stopped me.”

“You’re kidding.”

“I’m not. If this Phantom is real, I want to be the one to prove it or not.”

Ren got uncharacteristically quiet. “But…”

“What? If you’re going to protest, speak up.”

“You said it yourself, it’s all baseless. If you end up in a dire situation based on a rumor—”

“I know how to defend myself if the situation were to go sour, Amamiya. You know me better than that.”

“…”

“Nothing to say now?”

Ren put his head down, looking to get out a textbook. “Nothing to say, Akechi.”

  
  


The study session proceeded in silence, the only breaks being Ren looking down at his phone. 

—-

Goro wasn’t one you would classify as ‘normal’. Unlike most people he was actually intelligent, gifted with great perception and the ability to connect dots like it was a puzzle. A natural detective, really. If anyone was going to solve the mystery of this so-called Phantom, it would be him. Certifications be damned; they were only for official cases anyway. No one needed to know what events would take place that night. Adjusting his glove with a confident smile, he made his way out of his apartment. Now…to actually find a trail. 

That was more difficult than he expected. For such notorious heroes, there were no signs pointing to really…anything. Upon further research, he had uncovered the first place where they had been spotted: oddly enough, Amamiya’s high school. Of course, the bastard was lying to him. 

Going after-hours was likely forbidden, and in the middle of the night was something that would definitely land him in some sort of trouble. Thankfully, Goro was indeed intelligent. He knew this phantom would have had to stay outside, or else there would have been some type of news on property damage inside the school. Nearing a back alley close to the school, he pulled out his phone to access the flashlight. 

Nothing. Just the pavement, dried gum, and tossed-away cigarettes. Even decent schools weren’t immune to delinquents he supposed. Some type of trail had to be left: scuff marks from a fight, footprints, dried blood even.

Then…scorch marks? 

Being a rational person, Goro assumed immediately they came from the cigarettes. Some kid probably forgot to fully stomp it out and it left some sort of mark on the ground. Better yet, it was simply ash. He bent down and rubbed at the mark with his gloved fingers. No…definitely not ash. And would a cigarette butt be able to cause a mark like that? It was more like lightning had struck that one spot. But how was that possible without anything else being damaged? Nevermind the fact there hadn’t been any electrical storms lately. 

This alley was ripe with clues, and his stomach burned with excitement. 

He continued to investigate, not finding any more scorch marks, but instead…feathers. Or some type of object that certainly looked like feathers. They were dark, almost pitch black, but had a lighter tip. From a bird perhaps? But what bird in the crowded, filthy Tokyo would have an…almost transparent feather? Goro picked one up, holding his flashlight to it. The light reflected off of it, making it almost sparkle. It was also strangely soft to the touch, but not like any feather he’d felt from one of his mother’s earrings or a boa he'd seen his school’s dance team wear. Not even from a bird. What was this?

Of course, no one would be in Aoyama-Itchome in the dead of night. These would most likely be ignored by any normal person. But Goro wasn’t normal. For him, a picture of scorched pavement and an otherworldly feather would be his ticket to uncovering the greatest mystery of their time. It was a start, of course, but all any great detective needed was a lead.

—-

Ren Amamiya was completely and totally exhausted. The day had been long, not much good came from it, and now he knew he had to spend more nights like this. Every muscle in his body was begging to sleep, now that he had managed to relax them by taking a medicinal bath. Plus, Tae’s medicine also helped. It was Saturday, he could sleep in, and he would finally be rested enough to go about his life without his body feeling like it wanted to collapse. 

That was until 3 am when his phone rang. 

He knew it couldn’t be Ann or Ryuji. They had to be just as tired as he was. Knowing Ryuji, he probably crashed as soon as he got into his apartment, and Ann fell asleep eating her victory cookies. He groaned, his arms screaming in protest more than they did after any workout, and grabbed his phone. To his surprise, it was Akechi of all people. 

He was lucky Morgana was fast asleep. 

“Why are you calling so late?” he asked upon answering.

“I’m surprised you answered. Isn’t it past your bedtime?”

“Yours too, Akechi.”

“I was investigating. Can you meet me at the cafe tomorrow morning? I’d like to discuss it with you.”

With Akechi that meant ‘We’re hanging out tomorrow and I’ll kill you if you say no.’

“Okay…you’ll have to text me the address again—” He stifled a long yawn. “Please never call me this late again.”

“You didn’t have to answer me.”

“If I didn’t, you would’ve called all night until I did. Now get some sleep.” Great. Now he sounded like Morgana.

“Pleasant dreams to you as well.”

Yes. He would have pleasant dreams, no thanks to him. At the foot of his bed, he felt Morgana shift. The cat looked at him with questioning eyes.

“Don’t worry. I’m going to sleep now.”

For once Morgana didn’t complain or argue. 

  
  


—

Goro always knew he could truly rely upon his rival. Amamiya was one of the few people in this world who could actually keep up with him and was not only worth talking to but actually actively having discussions with. Who better to aid him in this investigation than him? 

Of course, Goro almost wanted to retract any sort of praise he had for the boy when he showed up to his choice of cafe looking like utter shit. Bags under his eyes, oversized jacket not even zipped up, yawning enough to get the whole cafe to join him. Granted, he called him at three in the morning and it was now seven. Plus waking him up early on a Sunday…but this was more important than sleep. He wasn’t going to allow his only real confidant to miss out on his first true accomplishment. Amamiya could get plenty of sleep once this case was solved. 

“You look terrible,” Goro said bluntly, taking his seat.

“Good morning to you too.” Amamiya hissed as he sat down. “Sorry. Sore.”

“I don’t recall asking.”

“You were going to. Why did you want me so early again? This could have waited—” he yawned, “until literally any time today…over text even.”

So simpleminded. “I needed you to see the evidence for yourself.”

“Evidence?”

“Of the Phantom’s existence.”

Ren groaned loudly. “I thought you had given up on that. ‘Petty rumors’, remember?”

“Until I found some actual basis.” Goro pulled a notebook from his pocket. “Your school is where they first appeared; in May, a teacher turned himself in on several counts of misconduct. While the school swept the incident under the rug, I found something that proves the root cause was something else.” He pulled something out from the margin of the notebook. “Physical evidence.”

Ren’s face was devoid of all humor, or even amusement. “A feather. You did a 180 on your beliefs because you found a feather near my school.”

“No. The pieces are connecting. The rumors state the Phantom can fly, and I believe I’ve found one of its feathers. Touch it, Ren. It’s not like a bird’s.”

“It’s fake, then.”

“Not with its texture. Unless it’s of amazing quality that a high school student could manage to afford, it’s something supernatural in origin.”

“Do you realize how ridiculous you sound, Goro? You’re grasping at stra…” A yawn cut Ren off as he sunk into his chair. “Coffee first. And food. You’re treating me for waking me up last night.”

\---

A few weeks passed without any sort of activity. Goro continued to investigate areas he knew the Phantom would approach. Back alleys always seemed to be the common denominator. While he didn’t find any other feathers, he did see scorched pavement all too similar to the spot behind Shujin Academy. The oddities didn’t stop there. 

One night, while exploring the alleys of Shibuya, he came across the confirmation he needed. Ice. Frost, to be more specific. A layer of frost had coated the alley, showing marks in the sidewalk. The problem with seeing ice was that it was the tail end of July; this shouldn’t have been possible. Not only was there genuine snow in the summer, but there were also the ashes of what had to be some sort of paper. Arson? 

Clearly they had many things up their sleeve. The excitement began to further claw at his stomach. Ice, fire, lightning of some sort. How could they manipulate that? Was that even possible? 

Upon returning home that evening, he wrote down every single finding he had in one of the few empty notebooks he had. 

**-Calling Cards**

  * **Several found in the former exhibit of Ichiryusai Madarame, as well as smaller ones being given to several students.**


  * Serve as a warning that their “heart” will be stolen(see below)



**-Forced Confessions**

  * **The “Heart Stealing”**


  * Major targets(Teacher and Artist) confessed to their crimes before being taken to police custody. If not forced to confess crimes (blackmail?) or due to confession(more evidence needed) target/victim is left in a vegetative state 



**-Possesses wings and could manipulate elements(?)**

  * **Sightings of it show it flying. Magic would be a logical conclusion considering the trail left.**


  * Magic doesn’t exist


  * ~~A trick of the light only works so damn well OF COURSE ITS MAGIC~~



**-Leaning closer to it being a spirit of some kind. More evidence required**

  
  


He sighed, leaning back in his desk chair. Finding out this creature was real was the easy part...actually understanding what it did was a different beast altogether. A flying creature that could manipulate the elements and force confessions out of people or leave them an empty husk. The more he thought about it, the more completely absurd it was. Maybe Ren was right? No, he couldn’t admit defeat this easily!

Then he saw something bright red out of the corner of his eye. No. He had to have been imagining it. There wasn’t a red envelope sitting on the corner of his desk. How did it...when did it…

Goro wasted no time ripping it open. 

_To the Elusive Crow,_

_We’ve noticed you prodding and picking up after any of our tracks. A part of us appreciates it, but this is your only warning to not go too deep. You don’t know what could happen._

_The Phantom_

A calling card. The Phantom had left him a calling card. 

“How did it….why would it…” Goro’s mind was running in circles. A prank. It had to be a prank. There was no way this creature was onto him. 

A lone black feather drifted down from the card, landing on his desk. Goro felt his heart begin to race. He nearly pushed everything on the desk aside to find his notebook. The same texture...same size – albeit one was slightly bigger. But it had that distinct shine the moment it caught the light of his lamp. 

No. Calm down. This could have been a prank. He was sure someone in his class had picked up on his investigation. But...they wouldn’t know about the feathers. For all they knew, the elusive creature had other means to fly. _He_ had found that feather. He knew...and the Phantom knew about him too.

Goro scrambled to get out his phone, immediately calling the only one he could turn to. It wasn’t too long past midnight; he had to still be awake. 

“Dammit, Amamiya! Pick up the damn phone! This is important!”

The other line opened after ringing twice, “Akechi, it’s—”

“I know what fucking time it is. It doesn’t matter. What matters is that I received a fucking calling card!”

Amamiya was quiet for a moment. Presumably moving his phone away from his ear. “A calling card?”

“The Phantom. It gave me a calling card. Not a warning that my heart will be stolen, but a warning to stay out of its business. Attached to the card was a feather just like the one I found. Do you understand what this means?” 

“You were pranked because you’re obsessive?”

“Don’t. Fucking. Mock me. It's because it knows I am close to it.”

Ren sighed. “Akechi...please can we talk about this in the morning? I’ve had a long night, and finals were a bitch. I’d like to be able to think during summer.”

Goro wanted to scream. Why did he have to be so _God damned_ uncooperative _now_? “Fine. I’ll be at Leblanc tomorrow morning.”

_\----_

Ren knew Goro was an idiot.

Okay, that was too mean. He knew Goro could be smart and was way too skilled at connecting pieces for his own good. Honestly, he had always been praying to whatever’s out there that Goro would never even try looking into his group. Goro was a lot of things, but he wasn’t corrupt or actively dangerous. A little rough around the edges, sure, but not anyone he would feel the need to deal with. Him getting involved would only mean trouble, but Ren considered himself an opportunist. 

The game of cat and mouse was fun at first, and he was genuinely impressed at how easily Goro was able to put everything together, but now? When the Shujin student council president was practically begging for them to look into a mob boss? 

“No,” Ren had said firmly when Goro had asked him to go with him to one of the places those yakuza members tended to frequent. That had, of course, set him off, causing him to scream, call him a coward, then leave, practically slamming Leblanc’s door and getting some sort of demerit from Sojiro and Wakaba. All in that order. 

Ren should have known better. Goro can’t take no for an answer and his pride meant that he would never admit to being wrong.

**Ren:** goro. Goro please stop. I know what you’re planning so please don’t. You’re gonna get hurt Goro please 

He knew he was going to go with or without him, and no amount of long blocks of texts were going to convince him otherwise. He shakily sighed, moving chats.

**Joker:** meet at the accessway in an hour. Its an emergency 

**Panther:** DID SOMETHING HAPPEN? WHOS GONNA CATCH THESE HANDS

**Oracle:** his boyfriend got pissy and nearly broke our door

**Skull:** F

**Fox:** Is this the same “boyfriend” who’s been following us?

**Joker:** yes. He’s stupid but i love him please i know this is short notice but this idiot is gonna get himself killed

**Skull:** doesn’t akechi do this shit a lot? Just goin on what you tell us

**Panther:** shhhh, love trumps logic ryuji. I’m in

**Fox:** Ah, the blooms of romance overtaking the senses. Of course I will help you Ren.

**Oracle** : I’m sitting this one out. Ren’s rat boyfriend isn’t all that important to me. Plus he insults my ship tastes constantly. I’ll send his coordinates tho

**Skull:** fine. Guess I gotta go now. Next time i ain’t helpin

**Joker** : thank you.

_\------_

Dammit. _Dammit! Shit!_ This wasn’t supposed to happen. He wasn’t supposed to get caught! He wasn’t…

Goro’s heart was pounding in his ears, it was too hard to think. He couldn’t stop here. Not when he was so damn close! This fucker…

Dammit! Why won’t these damn things budge?! What did they tie him up with?! Industrial strength rope?! No matter how much he struggled, the bindings around his arms and legs didn’t even show resistance. What was the point in leaving him here? They caught him…why weren’t any guards around…more importantly why didn’t he bring a weapon when he knew it would help him?

He didn’t cry. He wasn’t going to cry. Crying meant accepting defeat here. A warehouse in god knows where, where some disgusting excuse for life was going to fucking kill him. Haha, fitting. This was how it was going to end for him. Going too damn deep. 

Haha, at least…Ren couldn’t say “I told you so.”

Ren…

He didn’t cry. 

He wasn’t going to cry. 

_He wasn’t._

Willing tears away didn’t keep them from falling. And hoping for things to end better didn’t mean they were going to. That wasn’t how the world worked. No one knew he would come here. No one would help him. Why would they? Why…

“Shhh…” He felt a hand caress his cheek, wiping away the tears. “Don’t cry. That’s not a good look on you.”

Were they here to mock him? Chastise him further and strip away more of his dignity? 

Goro harshly blinked away tears, then looked up. In front of him wasn’t any of the men who had brought him here. Instead was…a man in a stark white mask. Behind that mask was a pair of…glowing blood-red eyes. He was clad in all black, save for the red gloves the same color as his eyes. 

And behind him were a set of black, feathered wings.

“You sure have a knack for getting yourself into trouble, Crow. I never thought someone would go to a sketchy place like this just to prove a point.” The man kneeled down to his level, smile not leaving his face. Ever so gently he pushed his chin up and softly caressed his cheek, wiping away more tears. “I thought you were smarter than that.”

His voice was smooth…almost velvety. Despite the situation, the man’s words eased almost all of his worry. No…not just eased. Melted it away like it never existed. 

“Now. We should be going.” The man went behind him and ripped the bindings off like they were nothing more than thread. “Stay quiet, okay?”

His mind was in a daze, moving way too quickly. Everything was going too quickly. This man…he had…and he had just…

“Who… You’re…”

“Shh…we don’t want to alert anyone. I’d rather avoid a fight.” 

He held a gloved hand out, which Goro quickly took. He noticed the rather firm grip…and also that he was rather built— dammit! Now really wasn’t the time! Get out of certain death first, solve the mystery later. That sounded like a good plan for the time being. 

The man made some sort of signal with his hand, beckoning over some other masked person, this one’s more akin to a fox head. “Was this the hostage?” he asked.

“I doubt it. I don’t think there was a hostage until he decided to stick his nose where it didn’t belong. Get the others. Someone’s gonna be alert soon.”

“Of course, Joker.” 

Joker? Was that what he was called?

Foxface waved his hand, and to Goro’s complete shock…ice shot out of it, creating a stylized staircase of all things that went towards the rafters above them. 

“How impractical…” The words left his mouth before he could stop them. 

Foxface scoffed. “I believe in making the most of both entrances and exits,” he said before ascending the staircase. With every step he took, the ice disappeared, leaving absolutely nothing. So this was who created the ice in Shibuya…not only creating it but manipulating it. How was this possible…?

“Come on,” Joker commanded, and Goro’s body responded without question. 

A part of him wished he knew where he was taken. By the looks of things, it was some kind of warehouse or storage area. The ceiling was huge, there were boxes everywhere, and there was no clear way out. Not even any windows. They had mentioned something about a hostage…was he taken to fill that role? To lure the Phantom out? 

Goro felt himself growl under his breath. To be reduced to a hostage for some disgusting hog to use to keep himself from getting caught…That was a new low. Then having to be saved by the very person— or _people,_ apparently, that he had worked for nearly a month to catch. This had to be some cruel, twisted joke fate decided to pull on him. 

“Hey,” Joker began. “What do you remember before you woke up here?”

“Oh. Now I’m permitted to speak?”

“You were in shock and I didn’t need you screaming and blowing our cover.” His voice was eerily calm, almost casual. Everything about Joker carried an air of pure control and confidence. Goro almost hated it. He was at this…thing’s mercy. 

He spat on the floor.

Joker’s lack of reaction only pissed him off more. He groaned as quietly as he could. “I was looking for any trail you may have left when investigating an area I presume is close to here. Someone must have noticed me, then I passed out.”

“You were in Shibuya, right?”

“Of course. Where the hell else would I be?”

Joker simply hummed. “You really have been a great help, you know. We’ve found our target now.”

Goro was caught slightly off-guard. “I…helped?”

“Yeah. We didn’t have the slightest inkling where Kaneshiro was hiding. Now we have a few clues. Good job, detective.”

Detective…

“You have a mission to complete, yes? Save the sentimental shit for when we’re out of this place.”

Joker laughed. An all-too-familiar, beautiful laugh. “Of course, Crow.”

  
  


Goro stayed as close to Joker as possible. Foxface had left to do god knows what, leaving a trail of ice in his wake. He was careful not to slip, though his companion didn’t seem to have any problem walking on it. What was next? Water?

“Get down,” Joker warned, “I guess Fox couldn’t take care of all of them.”

Sure enough a rather rugged looking man was patrolling the area, keeping a close watch on the crates. Of course, whoever would have bothered to use him as a hostage would have some kind of guard. Junya Kaneshiro had enough money for that and more if his research was anything to go by. 

Swallowing his pride yet again, and cursing himself for not bringing his gun, Goro did as Joker instructed. And…Joker sprung into action. His wings unfurled as he leapt from their hiding spot, landing quite elegantly on top of the brute’s back, his hand in front of his mouth. Despite the obvious difference in size, Joker didn’t at all struggle to hold the man down. 

“Show me your true form!” he commanded, his eyes glowing brighter. 

The man immediately seized up, as if he were frozen where he stood. Joker easily knocked him down, flipping stylishly off his shoulders. Apparently being impractically over the top was a requirement for this group. 

Joker loomed over the fallen man, smirking “Working off a debt, huh?” He placed a hand on his chest, the glow in his eyes even more intense. “Throw yourself to the cops when you wake up. You and everyone you’re associated with.”

The man simply groaned. 

“Almost too easy,” Joker said, adjusting his glove, “Impressed, Detective?”

Impressed?! What the fuck was he supposed to make of that!? What had he even—

“Let’s pick up the pace. You can gawk later. “

“I most certainly am not gawking.”

“Keep telling yourself that.”

  
  
  


_\-----_

Goro wanted to cry as soon as he could feel the sticky summer air hit him. He had no idea how long he had been in that warehouse. Freedom felt amazing regardless. 

“Yo, good to see you made it out.” A boy with a skull mask and...equally-striking yellow eyes said. “From afar, you looked like some chick.”

The girl in the cat mask with bright blue eyes next to him glared at him, shutting him up. “We’re just glad to see you’re okay. They didn’t do anything to you, right?”

“No. Simply looted all of the money I had in my pocket.” He groaned, knowing he was going to have to walk his way home. “I’m rather lucky that’s all I had on my person.”

The skull mask turned to Joker. “Dude, does he always talk like this?” he whispered far too loudly. 

“Only around new people,” was Joker’s answer. 

Always?

“Soooo…” the girl in the cat mask began, “we’re done, right? Nothing else is needed? Skull and I didn’t find anything clues-wise.”

“What was in the crates?” Joker asked.

“Fake cash,” Skull mask answered. “I got all excited till I saw the faces.”

“Mass-printing fake cash…” Foxface seemed to ponder. “I suppose that’s what he pays these students with.”

“Counterfeit, too, hmm.” A smirk grew on Joker’s face. “We can discuss it more tomorrow. I can take him home; thank you again.”

The other Phantoms simply waved to the winged man, before heading off in their own separate directions. Goro was...slightly lost. Counterfeit? Paying the students? 

“So you were using this as an opportunity to gain more information. What do you do with it? Report it to the police?”

Joker laughed. “You should understand by now; we have nothing to do with the cops. Besides, what we do with our knowledge isn’t your concern. Isn’t that how you got into this mess?”

Goro scowled. “Oh, then why would you care?! You seem more hellbent on catching this target! Do you know what may happen if I did report this to the police? Vigilante justice?”

“What will you tell them? People with magic powers are going around at night changing hearts?”

….

He...honestly hadn’t made it that far. What...was he going to do once he learned the Phantoms were real? Tell other people? With or without evidence, no one would believe the events that had transpired that night. Masked teenagers with magic— What kind of conclusion was that? 

For once, Goro Akechi was at a loss for words. He found himself squatting down. He had wasted this past month all for a non-answer. Something no one would believe. He couldn’t help but laugh.

“God….” He wiped a tear from his eye. “What was even the point of this?”

“Satisfaction?”

“Please. I don’t need your pity. You were humoring me all this time, weren’t you?”

“You have me there. It was kinda fun. No one’s even thought about catching onto us.”

“How was I supposed to know you had superpowers?”

“Context clues maybe. You’re smart, Akechi. I’m sure you’ve caught onto something else by now.”

Maybe. Yes. Definitely. A part of Goro probably always knew. Or at least knew for a while. Maybe it was the card’s handwriting, or how only one person would know how much this meant to him. Or how there was only one person in the whole world who called him “Crow.”

“Ren….” he said hesitantly, facing Joker head-on for the first time that night. “You...wanted me to find out, didn’t you?”

Joker’s— Ren’s body completely relaxed as Goro moved closer to him. As gently as possible he pushed the white mask up over his eyes. He felt like an idiot. A complete and total moron. All of the facts were there and he—

“Hahaha….I can’t believe it was right in front of me.” He ran a hand through his hair. “That’s why...god…”

Ren cracked a small smile, taking his hands. “You genuinely had me scared, you know. I...wanted to tell you eventually, but…”

“No...I would’ve laughed in your face. I have enough self-awareness to admit that, at least.” Goro subconsciously pulled himself closer. 

Ren played with a strand of hair obscuring his face. “Maybe…”

“Though...not because I didn’t think you were capable, rather I’ve just...never seen something like this within you. I guess I underestimated you.”

“Not as perceptive as you think?”

“Somewhat. I’ll admit a loss here. Just this once, though, and it stays between us.”

Ren ‘s laughter filled the empty space of the lot, filling Goro’s heart with an always-pleasant warmth. “You know…” he said, taking the white mask off completely, “I caught on to something, too.”

Goro was taken aback for a moment before Ren’s red eyes locked into his. Ren drew himself closer and closer until their lips touched. The brief moment became longer as something inside of Goro’s stomach awakened. He found himself closing any distance between them, arms wrapping around the other boy, fingers running through soft hair. He wanted the moment to last forever; if this was a dream, he never wanted to wake up. 

As soon as Ren pulled away, he kept his arms around Goro. “So…do you want to know what it feels like to fly?”

“F-fly?”

“Yeah…these wings aren’t just for show.” He spread them for emphasis, moonlight catching the iridescent feathers. “I’ll take you anywhere. Just…no more Yakuza dens.”

Goro chuckled. “I suppose that’s a fair deal.” He allowed Ren to pick him up, almost wanting to gag at how cliche this was. Yet he didn’t; hell, his mind suppressed any idea of this being an unpleasant experience. He found his arms wrapping themselves around Ren’s neck and his whole body relaxing into his chest. Safe. That’s what it was. 

“I’m taking you home, right?” Ren asked.

“No…Leblanc. I’m staying with you tonight.”

“That’s a bit intrusive, don’t you think?”

“I’m owed it after you kissed me, and lied to me about what you were capable of.” Goro quickly pecked his cheek. “There.”

“Always wanting to be ahead, huh?”

“I need to keep up with you somehow.”

Ren’s laugh warmed his heart. “Hang on, Crow.”

As Goro watched the lights of Tokyo fly past them, he couldn’t help the smile on his face. Hopefully…when he woke up in Ren’s arms the next morning, he’d be allowed to remember it.

——

“Why Joker?”

“Oh, Morgana came up with it.”

“Your cat?”

“He can talk sometimes. Just not to you; he’s probably pissed you’re staying over and he went to Boss’s house.” 

Goro didn’t have anything to add to that. He continued rummaging through Ren’s clothes until he found some that seemed soft enough. He should probably leave pajamas there with how often he tended to fall asleep in that dingy attic. 

Moments later, Ren came up the stairs into the attic, two coffee cups in hand. He passed one to Goro, sitting down next to him on the bed. “Remind me why you wanted hot chocolate in the summer?” 

“I nearly died tonight, don’t I deserve it?” Goro took a sip then hissed, “Shit!”

“That’s why it’s _hot_ chocolate.”

“Oh…so that’s why it’s ‘Joker’.”

Ren burst out laughing, that dangerous, beautiful laugh. “I really am living up to my namesake.” 

“What I don’t understand is why you use your powers like this. You could just kill them; why show mercy?”

“No moral reason, honestly. We take care of the people the cops can’t or won’t touch. Once people confess by word of mouth and they’re too complicit to hide anything, they dig the hole themselves. Besides…if they refuse…” There was a dangerous spark in his eyes. Goro couldn’t help but smile. 

“And there are—”

“Six of us if you count Morgana. Which he would want you to.”

“How have you managed to avoid getting caught all this time?”

“You know better than I do that the police would never believe some kids with superpowers are catching criminals and making them turn themselves in. It’s easier to let the people cover us up.”

Goro always knew Ren was smart, but to create a team of vigilantes under the eyes of the police and avoid being caught for almost half a year... He smiled, setting his coffee cup down. “Tell me this, is it because of what I said?”

Ren nearly choked on his tea.

“I know you, Ren, I doubt you had it in you to do this until something inspired you.”

Ren set his cup down and took his glasses off, placing them on the bed beside him. Just by removing them, his eyes seemed to have changed, grey to bright red. So that’s why he always insisted on wearing those stupid fake frames. “I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t.”

“Asshole.”

“You know it.”

“I can’t believe I inspired you to become a damn superhero.”

“Vigilante, Goro.” He took off his jacket as well, unfurling his wings, then wrapped one around Goro. “And it keeps you on my level.”

Goro’s smile grew as he melted into the touch. “We’ll settle this later.”

“Mhm…” 

The way Ren looked at him would never fail to make him genuinely happy. For a moment they sat there, holding one another like the world didn’t matter. Ren planted soft kisses on his cheek and Goro returned them, his wings curled around them like a blanket. 

“I’ve had…enough for one night,” Goro said eventually. He had long since finished his hot chocolate and finally felt his exhaustion catching up to him.

“Bed?” 

“Please.”

Thank God Ren could carry him so easily, otherwise he would’ve been content sleeping on the floor. Underneath the light blankets in Ren’s oversized shirt, Goro Akechi felt truly at peace. Even more so when he felt strong arms wrap around him. 

“Sleep well, Goro.” A beat, and a soft kiss being planted on his cheek. “I love you.”

Another beat. 

“I love you too…”

He settled into sleep with those words in his head. Case closed, as they say.   


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to @megamokki and @toxicspecters for the amazing art they made for this fic! And thank you all for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ren's side

His mother said that he was born with wings. If there weren’t pictures of him with two tiny little bundles of fluff attached to his back from the moment he was born, Ren wouldn’t have believed her. Apparently his parents didn’t know what to make of it. Honestly, they never did. His mother was more open to figuring it out while his father never wanted anything to do with him. Always telling him to cover them, either under his shirt or with a jacket. It was easier when he was a kid, but they grew along with him. Fortunately, Ren had mastered the art of folding his wings in such a way that they could be hidden under a jacket that was big enough. Unfortunately, that didn’t stop the molting in the summer or the general discomfort, but he had 16 years to get used to it. 

If it had stopped there, it would’ve been nice. Apparently he had been too strong for a kid his age since he was two. At least according to his mom. Tantrums could end with something breaking, things that should’ve been heavy for someone his size just…weren’t. He could go longer running or playing than the other kids in his classes. Jumping higher even without using his wings, his body always feeling lighter than it actually was to him. Like a cat, she always said. And like his wings, he learned to control it. He had to treat everything he held like it was made out of something fragile, even if it was something as sturdy as a table or pan. Eventually, he got used to it, much like folding his wings in. 

That…still wasn’t the end of it. He could take learning how to hide his wings, or just how different he was. Ren remembered it clearly. How one morning his parents started arguing per usual, and for whatever reason, his body decided he couldn’t take it. 

Holding back tears, he told them to stop. 

So they stopped. 

Upon hearing the words his parents relaxed, almost forgetting why they were even mad at one another. 

Then it happened at school when he told people to stop messing with him. And to the teacher when he continued to pry something out of him regarding his home life. 

Unlike the others, this wasn’t something he could hide as easily…telling people to do things…convincing something inside their heads that only his words matter, convincing them their own thoughts don’t. 

It was terrifying. Absolutely terrifying. 

The older he got the more he withdrew himself. By the time he was 16, he was just this lonely kid too afraid of himself to do anything. One thing would lead to another, and in an act of self-defense he’d end up breaking a drunk man’s arm while pulling him away from the woman he was trying to force himself onto. That’s all his father needed to justify shipping him away, self-defense be damned. His own actions be damned. Years of practicing didn’t mean shit if that’s all it took. 

It was inevitable, he thought. His parents were afraid of him from the moment he was born, a curse they said, and they were waiting for a moment to throw him out. 

  
  


It hurt, but it was what he deserved, right? That’s what he believed until he had met Goro. 

Falling in love with Goro Akechi was an accident. 

Not that Ren believed in fate or anything, but he definitely felt like something pushed him to meeting this boy. 

He didn’t know what possessed him to talk to Goro after their first meeting, or what compelled him to tell him his circumstances. He hadn’t even gotten to that point with Ryuji, the first person he actually had talked to. A part of him told him, even if Goro didn’t have superpowers, he would understand. And he did. Better than anyone else did. Goro knew what being thrown away was like, for having everything come crashing down just because of some man…for…life to just shit on you.

“Will you do anything about it?” he asked on the subway one morning. Kamoshida had just threatened to expel him and Ryuji for having the gall to speak out against him. Of course, that led to more talking. More understanding. 

“What’s there to do?” He took a long gulp of canned coffee, his wings practically aching under his jacket. “What’s done is done.”

“Revenge, for one, or simply finding an outlet. I can tell you have a lot pent up, Amamiya. Use it for something.”

Maybe that’s just how fate decided to play her hand. For those words to resonate so deeply within him…then for everything to play out from there. He gained the conviction to actually do something about the gym leader that had been terrorizing students at his school after a girl attempted. He inspired people with similar powers to him to use them to fight back. 

Seeing Kamoshida confess to everything he’d done filled him with something he never knew he could feel. 

Satisfaction. 

Of course, deciding to form the Phantom Thieves felt like a stupid move at first. It was difficult enough to fight Kamoshida and get him to confess his crimes, but branching was another beast altogether. Not to mention the police or anyone else that would try to keep an eye on them. Ren learned that rumors spread way slower in the city than they did back home. Sure, everyone knew about his record on day one, but no one was questioning his gloves or oversized clothes. 

But there was an advantage in that. No sane person would believe a kid who could manipulate electricity like a Pikachu, another who could dance with flames shaped like flower petals, and of course himself were the ones keeping criminals off the street. Out loud it sounded like complete nonsense, at least the people in the country could call him a cryptid. Things only would get harder, and Ren knew that. From the moment he decided to use his powers on Kamoshida, he knew nothing would be the same. Like usual he was scared and thought it best to simply become ambivalent to the event after all was said and done. 

But nothing could compare to the feeling of purpose Ren felt the night he could spread his wings knowing it was for  _ something _ . 

He finally was able to sit in his own body finally knowing “this is who I am.” Knowing for the first time in his life his powers weren’t a curse. Knowing who he was…

  
  


That’s what true freedom was. 

**Author's Note:**

> first time ever participating in a big bang and all I wanted to write was fluff. Thank you so much for reading!


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